This year, we proudly hosted the "Unearthing the Collection" series in collaboration with the Fondation Cartier pour l’art contemporain, delving into the rich and diverse narratives of American artists within the Fondation Cartier's collection. Senior Curator Leanne Sacramone guided us through these explorations, offering insights into the soundscapes, skyscapes, and landscapes captured by the artists. The series also permitted us to connect more deeply with the Fondation, our neighbor in Montparnasse, including guided museum visits for Columbia students and Fellows of the Institute for Ideas and Imagination. A further connection: Leanne, an alumna of Smith College, studied at Reid Hall during her Junior Year Abroad!
The series kicked off with a screening of Bernie Krause, A Life with The Great Animal Orchestra, directed by Vincent Tricon. This documentary, produced by Fondation Cartier, provides an intimate look at Krause's recordings of intricate acoustic niches within ecosystems, underscoring the increasing threat of human activities silencing these natural soundscapes.
Following this, Sacramone led a presentation comparing and contrasting the photography of William Eggleston and Robert Adams. Eggleston's pioneering color photography, with its democratic approach to everyday urban subjects, contrasts strikingly with Adams' black and white depictions of the American West's changing landscapes. This dialogue between noise and silence, urban spaces, and wild places provided a nuanced understanding of how these artists document and interpret the environment.
The third event in the series, "Mind, Matter, Cosmos," juxtaposed the works of Sarah Sze and Vija Celmins. Despite their distinct visual languages, both artists exhibit an extraordinary attention to materials and a deep exploration of time and memory. Celmins' meticulously redrawn photographic images and Sze's intricate architectural installations offer a reflective look at our relationship with the cosmos, blending the physical and mental in their artistic expressions.
The series concluded with a presentation of Joan Mitchell’s "Grande Vallée VI," linking it directly to the undergraduate programs at Reid Hall. Professors Robert E. Harrist, Jr. and Ioannis Mylonopoulos, teaching Art Hum this summer in Paris, joined Leanne for a conversation that explored Mitchell's transformation of personal sensations into painted abstractions. Mitchell's works, deeply rooted in her sense of place, evoke distinct emotions and atmospheres, bridging abstraction with the essence of landscape painting.
"Unearthing the Collection: American Narratives" not only celebrated the individual achievements and visions of these artists but also highlighted the broader themes of environmental consciousness, the interplay of urban and natural spaces, and the complex connections between art and memory.
Keep reading about this year’s events:
